Baldwin Boats celebrates a bumper summer

2:59 AM Mon 23 Feb 2009 GMT

'Baldwin Boats manufactures luxury commercial craft for All Seasons houseboats.' .

Based in Mildura Victoria, on the might Murray River, Baldwin Boats has just experienced its best summer ever, thanks to consistent emphasis on marketing, a broad product range and dedicated customer service.

For 40 years, the name Baldwin has been a driving force in houseboats, both under the name Baldwin and for All Seasons Houseboats. These days, with Kim and Chris Baldwin at the helm for the past eight years, the company has expanded to produce tinnies, ski boats and luxury, 5-star houseboats up to 21m, as well as undertaking all kinds of maintenance and repairs to aluminium and fiberglass boats.

"We started the retail arm about 5 years ago," explains Kim. "We get a steady tourist trade, and this year, there's been a huge influx of Melbourne and country people attracted to our good water supplies and Echuca people seem to be coming here to get away from the crowds.

"This has been our busiest summer to date. We are at least 25% up on the December-January period of last year. Our best growth yet. We were really caught by surprise."

Located near Loch 11 with good water levels for about 60kms, Baldwin Boats caters to a local crowd that loves to fish, ski, houseboat, paddle boat and jet ski and tourists all year round.

Houseboating on the mighty Murray is a tradition. - .. Click Here to view large photo

"There is quite a wide variety of water sports and pastimes where we are. It's a good, wide area of River so people can spread out. Good flights from Melbourne, 3-4 per day and cheaper. The River is always popular. There's an extended ski season beyond Easter, winter fishing and camping, houseboating, Tourists are solid through the year, and in winter we have a lot of maintenance and repairs."

According to Kim, while there is certainly competition in the region, with a couple of marine chandleries around the place, Baldwin's edge is that it specializes in houseboats as well.

These are no ordinary boats. Single storey but with top helm and spa and deck on top, they are all aluminium, giving great strength to weight ration and which Kim says is "good for maintenance and repair, and a lot lighter".

No expense spared on the details. - ..

The company produces around seven per year of these 12 berth, 5-star vessels, brimming with luxury inclusions such as spas, ducted vacuuming, plasmas. They use 100% aluminium in their pontoons, frame and construction. "This gives them reduced weight on the frame so that clients can add their own fittings and extras," says Kim, adding that the boats are "like a holiday apartment, with no boating infrastructure visible - no generators, piping or wiring on the back of the boats".

Within its state of the art manufacturing facility, Baldwin has the latest equipment operated by highly skilled fabricators, technicians, fibreglassers, fitter and turners, electricians and plumbers. Baldwin was also Mercury's Victoria dealer of the year in June 2008, a title it has held for three years running.

Key to Baldwin's success is a regular marketing program, despite the economic times. "People think that when things get harder, they have to ease up on advertising, but that's the time when you need it most."

Baldwin commits to "a lot of local TV and radio, some newspaper and plenty of email marketing". "It's important to stay in touch with your good customers. They're your stable market. You have to retain customers with good customer service and communication."

Kim's advice for dealers is to "stay positive and keep up your marketing".

"Good customer service means treating people so they remember you and come back. We do call outs, help out the tourists, treat them like locals they come back year after year and tell their friends. Word of mouth is vital."

More at www.baldwinboats.com.au

by Jeni Bone

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